Two men nabbed while trying to smuggle cockle spats worth RM100,000

ALOR STAR: Two men were detained by the Kedah Fisheries Department for attempting to smuggle 8,000kg of cockle spats worth about RM100,000 into Thailand, yesterday.
The department's Source Protection Division chief, Khairul Amrie Ariffin said the duo, who were travelling in a lorry, were arrested near the Hutan Kampung toll plaza, here, about 7pm following a tip-off and intelligence work by the authorities on the smuggling activity.
"Checks on the lorry led to the discovery of 200 sacks of cockle spats, believed to be brought from Sabak Bernam, Selangor to be taken to Changlun.
"Interrogation also revealed that instead of taking the load to Kuala Sepetang in Perak, the suspects diverted to Changlun so that the cockle spats would be transferred into a private vehicle before being smuggled into Thailand," he told reporters, here, today.
Khairul said the two men were found to have flouted the law as they only had licence to purchase cockle spats registered in Larut, Matang, Selama and Taiping districts in Perak.
The two were then released on police bail while the department seized the cockle spats before releasing them into the sea, he added.
The case is being investigated under Regulation 3(1) of the Fisheries (Cockles Conservation and Culture) Regulations 2002. — Bernama